In the Shadow of Demise
by GerundoGirl87
Summary: This story occurs post-Skyward Sword, but prior to the other Zelda games. There are references to the origins of some of the characters that I was most intrigued by in the Zelda series, so far including Sheik, Dark Link, Demise, and Fierce Deity Link. (Can't mention any others without ruining the story at the git-go). Hope you enjoy reading as much as I'm enjoying writing!
1. Prologue

**Prologue:**

And so Boetius looked upon Hylia with desire and performed great feats to obtain her attentions. He raised a great mountain from the earth, called forth a grand forest, and filled a deep lake in her name. Hylia was pleased and greatly adored these gifts, and yet Boetius still did not possess her. Boetius relented and performed for her his greatest feat. He fashioned from the earth a people in her likeness and breathed life into their bodies. Boetius took great joy in Hylia's delight and stood watch with her for many hundreds of years as the beings of the world below formed a kingdom in her name.

This continued for some time until Boetius discovered that Hylia's heart had been kindled by a mortal man. His pride was heavily wounded that one of his own creations had succeeded where he had failed. In his wrath, he called down heavenly fire upon the young man, but Hylia had anticipated Boetius' jealousy and had placed her protection over the man. The fire rebounded upon Boetius, blackening his skin and causing his fine hair to blaze. A great cry of despair and anger escaped his lips and resounded around the land.

Boetius cursed the land he had built. The great mountain exploded in a sea of fire, the beautiful forest became a labyrinth inhabited by lost souls, and the glittering lake boiled and became dust. He raged war against the people of Hyrule, but Hylia yet protected them such that he could not come close to the city. Enraged, Boetius created yet more living creatures who bowed to him and called him the Demise of Hyrule. These fearsome creations took on many forms and served as his army.

The man whom Hylia loved demanded that she remove her shield of protection from him, that his sacrifice might serve to sate Boetius' rage and Hyrule might be spared. She denied him, and bade him remain safely in Hyrule. As the hour of doom drew nigh, Hylia cut the land upon which Hyrule stood from the earth and raised it to the sky that it might find refuge from the horde of Boetius' monsters.

Hylia then pulled from Boetius the essence of power, and fashioned a shining medallion that would grant the holder's most urgent desire. Yet the medallion was not strong enough to do as she wished, and thus Hylia ripped from herself the essence of wisdom. Still the medallion was not yet whole. Hylia despaired that she would be unable to complete her task, but the man had known of her plan and fled the castle that he might remain and defend her. Hylia wept at his courage and from her tears fashioned a shining blade which she gave to the man. From his courage, she forged the final piece of the medallion, and it shone brightly in her hands as her desire was fulfilled. This last gift would keep her people aloft until the time came for them to return and its great power would serve to protect Hyrule should the need again arise. Hylia placed her blessing upon the man and charged his bloodline with the protection the medallion.

At this, Boetius appeared and demanded the medallion that he might return Hyrule to the earth. The man challenged Boetius, but Hylia took up the sword, bidding the man to escape with the medallion to keep it safe. A great battle ensued as darkness and light clashed together in a duel that lasted three days and three nights. On the dawn of the fourth day, the skies grew calm and the man returned to the site of the battle. There he found Boetius seemingly dead upon the earth, Hylia's blade lodged in his heart. The man used the knowledge that Hylia had blessed him with to craft a great stone seal and lock Boetius deep within the earth. Hylia was nowhere to be found, yet both divine blades had been retained. The man was unable to destroy the black blade of Boetius, and so carefully hid it away in the farthest reaches of the earth. The Goddess's blade he kept with him until such a time that he could construct a great temple in her honor. There he stayed until the end of his days. Of the medallion, no more is known.

Gaepora the Younger

History of Hyrule, Volume One


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_There are so many. _

Zelda took a long steadying breath as she forced herself to step to the palace balcony's edge. The wind whipped her hair wildly behind her and she had to shield her eyes from the red light of the setting sun. Gannon's army dominated her view. Black clad armed figures filled Hyrule field for what seemed to span miles to the east and west. His banners snapped in the strong wind and the sun glinted irregularly off of the many spears and swords.

_How did it come this..._

Her mind reeled. She wondered how long she had been asleep, cursed by the blight. To her it seemed like she had been in the Sacred Grove mere minutes ago, but it must have been days at least.

"Princess?"

His voice startled her. Zelda turned quickly around to see Link in the balcony archway. He looked rather haggard, she thought. There were dark circles under his eyes and his normally smooth jaw line had sprouted blonde stubble. He was panting slightly, as if he had been running, and his brows were knit together in concern.

She watched his eyes take in her measure and looked down to realize with a pang of embarrassment that she had just stumbled through the castle in nothing but a simple linen shift. She put her arms around herself, suddenly feeling the cold from the stone ground that had been seeping up through her bare feet. Link removed his cloak and settled it gently around her shoulders. She held it close around herself as the wind threatened to whip it open. She felt a strong hand on her back and allowed him to lead her inside.

"Are you feeling...alright?" He asked when they had stopped, his words tinged with a mix of relief and trepidation.

"Link, I have to know what's going on." She began, as she reached up to tie her wind-bedraggled hair into a hasty knot.

"I think you already know what's going on, Princess."

Zelda frowned. He was right of course, yet knowledge had done little to numb the shock of it. "How long was I asleep?" She asked quietly.

"Seven days." He gave a short, uneasy laugh and ran a hand through his messy blonde hair. "I was beginning to wonder if you were going to wake up."

She looked at him steadily now. His clear blue eyes looked like they had aged since she had last seen them. He seemed older, much older, than when they had entered the Sacred Grove. In seven days, something had begun to change this boy into a man.

Horns sounded in the distance, long eerie and unnatural sounds. Drums began to pound and a great cry arose from the horde in the field as they began to charge forward. Zelda felt her heartbeats quicken.

Link glanced out the window. "It's starting sooner than we thought..." she heard him mutter.

"Princess Zelda. Link," A voice came from the entrance to the room. "I see you've already found her."

"Has Impa returned?" Link asked, turning to face the sheikah.

"No." The hooded figure replied simply.

"Plan B, then." Link replied with a grimace.

The sheikah nodded in response. "She will be waiting." He remained there, silent while Link turned back to face her.

"What's going on?" She demanded, adrenaline causing some strength to flow back into her limbs.

"We're leaving. There's a..."

"No." She interrupted. "No, I will not run and hide like a frightened child while the people of my kingdom suffer and die at the hands of those we allowed into this world."

Link's tired eyes darkened dangerously. "The people of this city are not the only ones you are now responsible for, Princess. Gannon seeks power through destruction and that destruction will extend beyond these walls. Do not make this easy for him. If you do not leave this place now, you allow both of us to fall into his hands."

Her eyes flashed. "What are you saying?"

"I was charged with your safety and I will not run while you remain. If your own importance is not enough to motivate you, then perhaps my life is."

She was taken aback, and found herself rendered speechless. The anger that had flared up in her was quelled as she swallowed his words.

The castle shook violently as Gannon's catapults begin to hit their target. Dust shook loose from the ceiling and fell slowly to coat her golden hair.

"Please, princess..." She looked at his now outstretched palm. Heavy gage blue fabric formed the elbow-length gloves that sat beneath his vambraces. The gloves extended only to his first knuckle, and she could see the shiny calluses on the outer edge of his index finger. _Stay or go, _she thought to herself_. Honor or duty? _She frowned sadly as she placed her hand in his.

The castle shook violently again. Zelda realized with dread that the sounds of the hoard had grown much louder...much closer. She heard the muffled sound of steel on steel, of men dying. Never had she imagined that fleeing her people would be the right choice. Even now it seemed wrong that her people should fight and die as she fled to safety.

Link's fingers had closed around hers and he had begun to lead her to the door. The sheikah waiting there pushed it easily open and was joined by another of the Tribe who had been waiting just outside. They led her out into what seemed to have become pandemonium. The usually orderly castle was clogged with people running in a myriad of directions and even the two sheikah that accompanied them, one in front and one behind, were buffeted about by the wave of human chaos. It was the noise that struck her most. It wasn't so much the volume as it was the level of panic that perforated the air. Voices were crying, horses squealing, men shouting angrily at one another.

It took them at least double the amount of time to reach the entrance to the crypts as it normally would have. Their two sheikah body guards led them quickly down the long staircase and the sounds became muffled again as the stone walls enveloped them. The group paused while one of the men knelt to pick the lock holding the great wooden doors shut. A great crash was heard from up above and one of their guides sped quickly upstairs to investigate.

Link was clenching and un-clenching his free hand, her's still held tightly in his left. She gently freed herself from his nervous grip and readjusted his cloak on her shoulders. The heavy wool thing was too large and was now sitting so askew that the bunched up hood covered her face up to her nose. Her movement garnered his attention and she watched his brows rise in alarm. "Oh gods...Princess, your feet!"

She looked down at her feet curiously and realized that they were bleeding. Link motioned for her to sit and quickly ripped strips of blue fabric from his tunic, all the while glancing furtively back up the stairs. She sat obediently, the ground cold even through the cloak, and lifted one foot towards herself to inspect the bottom. Most of the damage was from small pebbles, some even still lodged there, but she also found a decent array of small cuts. She swiped quickly at the rocks, and smeared the blood across her foot and palm. She wiped it off on her linen shift.

"Give it here." Link commanded, and she complied obediently.

He had sunk to one knee before her with the strips of fabric laid across his thigh. He lifted her foot gently and balanced her heel on the toe of his boot. Swiftly, gently, he cleaned and wrapped each foot up to the ankle, adding extra strips to the ball and heel to save her from further mishap. He lifted her to her feet as the great metal lock from the crypt doors hit the ground with a dull clang.

Link and the sheikah heaved against the wood and the doors groaned open to reveal a dark stone room with a moderately vaulted ceiling. The room contained no windows, impossible since the royal crypt lay within the very heart of the castle. Their only light would be torches. The sheikah was already striking flint to light one of the two they had brought. The other sheikah reappeared then, "The assault above speeds on. We will remain here to ensure you are not followed."

Zelda bowed gracefully to them and Link quickly followed suit. They turned then, each with a torch in hand, and ventured into the crypt. The sheikah wasted no time in closing the doors behind them.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Link lit the second torch and handed it to Zelda. Impa had told him that she'd know what to do if he brought her here. He let out breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding and glanced around the crypt. He certainly hoped she was knew what she was talking about. If Zelda couldn't open the tunnel, they'd trapped themselves in a room with no exit. That made him exceedingly uncomfortable.

It wasn't as if they possessed other options, he conceded. Each day she lay cursed, Zelda had grown worse and worse. At first, when they returned, she appeared to be peacefully asleep, but by the end of the second day he had noticed that all the tiny blue veins visible through her skin were turning a dark purple. By the third day, she had moaned and winced as the maid tried gently to wash her. The healers were at a loss and could only advise patience.

On the sixth day after they had retreated to the relative safety of Hyrule Castle, they had received the first reports that an army was approaching. Impa had insisted then that Zelda and Link be moved to the Kokiri forest. They had completed the preparations in haste, yet when they had tried move Zelda, she had screamed in pain. Link closed his eyes against the memory.

He and Impa had fought then, over whether or not they should continue as planned. Impa insisted that Zelda's mind was frozen in sleep and that she could not feel the pain that she seemed to exhibit. Link had stood at her bedside, eyes bleary from lack of sleep and his left hand tentatively closed around the hilt of the Master Sword, daring Impa to come closer. He was sorry for that. They had both been exhausted and worried. Impa had simply cursed him for a fool, and left. He was later informed by one of her sheikah that she had left to attempt a spell that could offer them an alternate path. Whether or not Impa had succeeded, he couldn't be sure. Perhaps it was what had finally woken Zelda from her blight.

He looked out at her now. She looked small in his cloak, the knot of her golden hair shining under the light of the torch. Her slender fingers traced the carvings etched onto the wall in front of her. He wondered if he had made the right decision. Perhaps Impa was right, and she didn't remember any of the pain. If that were true, he had been the fool that Impa had named him. He shook his head, as if the thoughts would dissipate so easily, a crossed the floor to where she stood. This was not the time to second guess himself.

Zelda placed a delicate hand on an image of the Triforce that was elaborately carved into the stone wall. He watched her eyes close as she began to hum a beautiful yet haunting song. The symbol of the Triforce on the back of her hand began to glow faintly. Link spun around as the sound of stone grating against stone reverberated around the cavern. Zelda placed a gentle hand on his arm to calm him and moved quickly past to where one of the tombs had partially ejected it's covering. The edges of the slab were cleverly hewn at an angle such that it would fit perfectly into the opening, but no farther. Holding a torch over the area, Link observed grating disguised as intricate wall carvings that ran the length of the wall to provide air for what must be a secret tunnel.

"I wasn't actually sure if this would work." Zelda said quietly. "Impa told me of it once. It will only open for one with the blood of the Royal family."

"Where does it lead?"

"Kakariko Village."

They both started at the unexpected sound of shouts from the stairwell just outside the great oaken door. Link felt the first twinge of fear seep into his blood. He looked about and wrested a longsword from one suits of armor nearby, then, running to the doors, jammed the sword through the handles just as the loud thunk of a body shook the heavy wood from the other side. He heard Zelda gasp in surprise behind him. Link hurried back to wrest the stone slab from its alcove, straining with the effort, and placed it carefully on the ground before them. Zelda placed a delicate hand on the cobwebbed entrance and ducked to enter without so much as a moment's hesitation. As the doors rattled loudly behind them, he realized with a sickened feeling that their two sheikah must be dead, and that whatever had been strong enough to dispatch two trained sheikah was now pushing its way into the crypt. The long sword that he had jammed through the iron door handles rattled dangerously.

He closed his eyes, pained. He knew Impa had meant for both of them to escape, but with the enemy so close behind them there was no time for them both to enter the tunnel and reseal it. Left open, their pursuers would likely run them down in a matter of minutes. He knelt down in front of the passage and looked into Zelda's waiting eyes.

"Princess...Zelda...you need to listen to me very carefully." He watched her brows furrow, but there was no time for this. He un-slung the Master Sword from his shoulders and handed it carefully to her. "You need to go ahead of me and keep the Master Sword out of their reach. I will remain here to hold them off, but I will be along behind you soon. You must go now and, whatever happens, do not stop."

"Link, no. No, we can't separate now. We need to ..."

He put his hand on her's to stop her and watched as she bit her lip. Panic had begun to seep through her normally controlled features as she realized she would not be able sway him. He pulled his old dagger from its sheath on his waist and handed it carefully to her.

"In my absence, this will keep you safe." He felt a pain building in his chest. He felt like he should say more, but there was no time. He wasted a few seconds waiting there looking at her, trying to memorize her face. She looked so afraid.

"Be safe, Princess" he whispered.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Link moved quickly, hands shaking. He hefted the stone slab up onto his knee and then carefully back into place, feeling Zelda's frightened eyes watching him. He looked down and realized both torches still lay at his feet, burning merrily. He extinguished them both with irritation, thinking he should've thought to have given Zelda one. On second thought, it may have been better that he hadn't, since he wasn't sure which parts of the castle the tunnel passed through and her light might be noticed through the grate. Link ripped swords from two of the cobwebbed suits of armor near the door, then placed himself in the corner to the right of the doors and mouthed a silent prayer. As the longsword jamming the door finally snapped, Link waited to take stock of what sort of enemy would burst through.

The doors groaned open and hulking shapes fanned out, the room glowing with the light of their torches. Link counted a half dozen of the tall, lithe, lizard creatures he had fought in the Sealed Grounds and noted that they were similarly armed with both swords and iron-barbed tips for their tails, yet he found it suspicious that a mere six could best two Sheikah. He readied himself with a stolen crypt blade in each hand.

"Come out, come out!" shouted a man Link hadn't noticed, shining his light over some of the tombs. The man was average height with an athletic build and dark hair. "I know you're here, and there doesn't appear to be a way out. Shall we be playing a game of hide and seek? Or will you surrender yourselves peacefully? Ah, but I suppose that would be no fun..."

Link stepped silently from the shadows and swiftly decapitated the closest beast. He managed to dispatch two more with clean sword strokes to the neck before the group realized what was happening. The beasts' heads snapped around as they instinctively dropped into defensive positions. The closest took a great gulp of air and Link watched its throat pulse red with heat. He threw himself sideways into a roll and felt a stifling conflagration follow him. He recovered quickly, letting his momentum raise him into a crouch, and parried with both blades as another beast leapt at him with a shriek. The impact sent a jarring tremor through his arms and he threw aside the enemy blade as he spun quickly around and lodged his right blade deep in the animal's neck. It sank to its knees with a gurgling groan, and Link was forced to leave the blade as he heard the it's fire-breathing comrade charge him. He rolled again, this time to his right, and felt the ground shudder as the lizard and its weapon forcibly landed where he had just been. He leapt to his feet and pushed off, sending his momentum back toward the beast in a contest of speed. Before the reptile had recovered, Link had sent his sword crunching up through thick muscle and two ribs before it speared the beast's heart. It fell toward him and the ancient crypt blade snapped in two as the immense weight of the creature impaled it at an odd angle against the stone floor. Link glanced up to see the final beast flattening its body and opening its jaw wide as it prepared to accost him with fire. He snatched the broken sword hilt from the ground and hurled it at the glowing throat before throwing himself behind one of its fallen kin. A brief burst of flame chased him, but was quickly ended by a sharp cry. Link glanced up and saw that the foot of jagged steel he had thrown had indeed pierced the creature. He turned and pulled the remaining sword from the fallen reptile he had hidden behind and grimaced at the stench of its charred flesh. A low chuckle from the center of the room caught his attention.

He looked up to see the man standing there, his face eerily lit from an odd angle by his torch, distorting his features. "That was rather entertaining."

"Who are you?" Link demanded as he strode towards the man. The man smiled in silent reply and Link stopped dead, suddenly feeling himself go cold with fear.

The man before him wore his face.

Not just his face, his whole body was replicated there before his eyes, except this man seemed to be possessed of a kind of darkness. His skin was impossibly pale and Link could see the veins in his exposed neck and face as though the man were partially translucent. His hair wasn't exactly black either, simply devoid of color. The eyes burned red and Link watched his own face twist into an strange smile.

"I asked you a question. Who are you?" Link growled as soon as he could find his voice.

"Does it matter?" The man cocked his head to the side in an oddly childlike mannerism.

Link simply continued to regard the man coldly.

"You've hidden her." The man stated matter-of-factly. "Interesting. I would've thought that you both would've been long gone at the first hint of our arrival." He watched Link's face carefully and cocked his head again. "Perhaps it was because she exhibited such pain that you feared to move her?"

Link frowned in confusion. How would this man know anything of that?

"And now you stand guard to protect her escape." The man said thoughtfully. "I find myself wondering, have you done the right thing?"

"What?" Link asked in confusion.

"You have decided to remain behind twice now. I am questioning whether or not you have done the right thing. And if not, what was the right thing?"

"Does it matter?" Link snapped caustically.

The man smiled again. "I suppose we shall just have to see."

Link frowned and raised his bloodied sword.

The man sighed with annoyance. "You were unwise to give up your godly weapon. This fight will be disappointingly unfair."

Link charged forward yelling, but his dark self parried easily. Link grimaced and dropped low to the ground, allowing his blade to fly in a wide circle, but the man flipped easily backward. Their swords clashed again and again, but each time it seemed that this demon knew Link's own mind before he did. He attacked repeatedly, concern beginning to lodge itself in his mind that his attacks hadn't even drawn first blood.

A sudden overhead strike put Link quickly on the defensive. The man smirked at him as Link struggled to hold the attacking sword away from his face.

"I grow bored of you. Enough play."

Link thrust his block forward with a yell, disentangling their swords, but before he could mount another attack, a searing pain erupted in his right forearm and he instinctively reached to clutch at it. Hot blood ran in sticky rivulets through his fingers and slicked his sword's grip a violent red.

The shadow paced slowly around him, watching him curiously. Link turned slowly with the man, careful not to let him get behind him. The man seemed to be toying with him, allowing a few meets of the swords, before he suddenly dove behind him, rolling quickly to a crouch and spinning to slice at the back of his legs.

Burst of white light appeared in his vision and Link heard himself cry out in pain. He fell to one knee, unable to bear his own weight, and gasped helplessly as the shock of the impact sent sickening waves of pain radiating out from the wound on the back of his left thigh. He reeled and fell forward, catching himself with his injured right arm in an effort to keep his sword arm free. He stared down at the stone floor under him, willing himself to stay conscious. Blood ran continued to flow down his shaking arm and fire seemed to burn in the gash on his leg, but he could feel the man's footsteps as he continued to circle. Link set his mouth in a hard line and tried to push himself to his feet, but as soon as he asked his leg to bear weight the nausea returned.

Boots appeared in his vision and Link raised his head slowly. The man's face appeared devoid of any emotion. It surprised him. Most men wore something on their face before they dispatched their foes, be it triumph, wrath, righteousness, or sorrow. This man's face was blank. It was unsettling.

A heel crunched his knuckles and Link clenched his teeth in a struggle to maintain his hold on his weapon. It was a futile effort. A bone snapped in Link's smallest finger and his hand instinctively flattened itself in surrender. His sword skittered away, propelled by the man's boot.

The man wiped Link's blood carefully off of his own sword before slipping it back into its sheath and lowering himself onto his haunches. Link felt the man grasp his jaw and gently, but firmly direct his gaze to meet the man's own. The man's fingers were like ice, and his eyes were like the spray of blood against fresh snow. Link skin crawled, not least because the eyes were his own.

"I would like you to tell me where you have hidden her."

Link stared into the man's cursed eyes, refusing to answer.

The man's brows furrowed with disappointment. "While this has all been mildly entertaining, I don't care to waste time. It's obvious you've lost after all."

The man waited expectantly, but Link continued to silently hold his gaze. All he had at his disposal at the moment was his willpower, and he nearly laughed at the sudden usefulness of his often cursed stubbornness.

Silence remained between them for a minute, before the man's face suddenly contorted in rage and a blow sent Link's head to the side with a snap. Link struggled to keep his balance as the violent movement made his head swim. The loss of blood had weakened him and he felt himself staring at the floor beside him. He was only vaguely aware of the metallic taste in his mouth.

A cold hand took a fistful of the hair near the nape of his neck and jerked his head back around. "I don't have time for this."

The man's face was only inches from his own, but Link felt himself losing his grip on consciousness. His eyelids felt strangely heavy and he found that he didn't seem to care much about the man's questions. A sudden blinding heat brought his mind back into the moment. It felt as if a white fire were burning itself through his chest, searing through his chainmail and causing the skin beneath to bubble and blister. An agonized scream tore from his lips and echoed off the stone walls.

As suddenly as it had started, the fire stopped. Link fell forward onto both hands, gasping. His chest throbbed and the cold air that met his exposed wound caused the skin to prickle and contract painfully. He reached up a tentative hand and touched the outside of a wet, angry burn. He hissed at the contact and quickly removed his hand, then looked up to find that the man had left him and was filled with sudden dread.

The man stood a mere foot from the wall that contained the secret tunnel. He was running a curious hand over the wall, allowing his fingers to trace the patterns in an unhurried manner. Link struggled to find his feet, fear and desperation infusing his body with a small burst of strength. As he stumbled closer, the man knelt down and peered into where Link knew the grating to be.

_No. Please, gods no. _

Link felt his injured leg buckle beneath him and the jolt as he hit the floor sent new waves of pain through him. Whiteness appeared at the outskirts of his vision. The last thing he heard before his consciousness left him was the man's whisper.

"I see you."


End file.
